Campus Life

Major Employers Come to Campus, Talk Careers

Alumni who work at Genentech, Tesla, Cruise, and Salesforce bring job advice to the Hilltop

by Evan Elliot, USF News

At the Meet the Pros event, USF alumni from top organizations met with students on campus last week to answer questions about jobs, internships, and company cultures.

Genentech, Tesla, Cruise, Salesforce, Kaiser Permanente, Chronicle Books, Minted, CamelBak, Bold Insight, InterVenn Biosciences, San Francisco District Attorney’s Office, and The Hartford were all there.

“When our students talk face-to-face with smart, energetic young alums from top companies, career dreams become career realities,” said Stephanie Belfiore, assistant director of employer relationships at the Career Services Center.

Students Learn

Gurshan Singh ’27, a computer science major, met with Salesforce, Tesla, and Cruise. “I hope to work in a field that gets me to the front end of stuff since my background is in design,” he said. “I enjoy trying to make something that looks nice and something that people can connect with.”

Lilliah Aaliyah ’23, an entrepreneurship and innovation major who met with Salesforce and Cruise, said she wants to work in business relations or operations. For her, the highlight of the event was hearing “tricks and tips on how to get these jobs.” 

Chloe Ramirez ’24, a computer science major who met with CamelBak and Bold Insight, said she’s interested in machine learning, augmented reality, virtualization technology, “and the interactive/creative side of tech. Meeting people who have gone to this school makes me feel hopeful to be in that same position.”

Yazan Tadros ’24, a business management major who also met with Salesforce, Tesla, and Cruise, said, “I’m most excited about possibly getting a business development and marketing job. This event felt casual and comfortable and enabled me to be myself.”

Alumni Advise

Three USF graduates who represented their employers at the event gave this advice to students:

“Network!” said Natalia Clarke ’20, the social media manager at Minted. “Network as much as you can. Connect with people on LinkedIn; send out as many messages as you can, just to get exposure to the people that you’re talking to.”

Lauren Quiring ’22, who works in event marketing at Cruise, said, “My advice would be to constantly raise your hand for things and put yourself in front of future employers.”

Emilio Ashley ’22, associate people development partner at Tesla, said, “Utilize your resources on campus. You’ve got career coaches, counselors, and professors who have backgrounds in the field you want to work in. These people are there at your fingertips. They’re there to help you.”

Alumni Identify the USF Difference

Asked what sets USF students apart from other job seekers, Emilio Ashley ’22 said, “At USF, you are literally in the hub of opportunity, and companies like that because you’re familiar with the culture, you’re in a diverse setting, and you value different perspectives — that puts you ahead of the game.”

Natalia Clarke ’20 said what sets USF students apart “is how much they want to make a difference in the world. That’s super unique.”

Catherine Rivera ’24 contributed reporting to this story